Aquatic ecosystems across boundaries: Significance of international agreements and cooperation

Abstract

Historically, international environmental agreements on shared transboundary waters have dealt with exploitation of natural resources like oil, minerals, forests, fisheries, shipping and trade. Presently the focus is on environmental issues relevant to conservation, restoration, protection, sustainability over-fishing, pollution, invasive species and climate change. Global assessment indicates a lack of international agreements between multiple users. A brief review of major conventions and agreements is offered with emphasis on the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement on the North American Great Lakes and the European Water Framework Directive, since they appear to be ecologically sound and predominantly ecosystem-based. This article exemplifies the history behind these agreements with examples of environmental threats and consequences (eutrophication, pollution, invasive species and loss of biodiversity). It is concluded that such ecosystem-based agreements are essential for all large aquatic ecosystems shared by multiple users or countries for holistic and integrated management of aquatic resources.

Keywords::

• Great lakes
• water quality
• Water Framework Directive
• ecosystem-based
• trans-boundary waters
• watershed management

Acknowledgements

We are grateful to the Organizing Committee of the SOLVE symposium (Sweden) for giving us the opportunity to present this article to promote the ecosystem-based management of large ecosystems. Thanks to Alice Dove of Environment Canada for providing the up-to-date diagram of the phosphorus concentration in the Great Lakes. The assistance of Heather Niblock is greatly appreciated for patiently editing several versions of this manuscript. Thanks are also due to Iftekhar Fatima Munawar, Mark Fitzpatrick and Jennifer Lorimer who assisted in the development of the presentation in Sweden and the preparation of this manuscript for publication.